One of Damilola Taylor’s killers was last night back in jail after being recalled for allegedly returning to the scene of the boy’s stabbing.

One of Damilola Taylor’s killers was last night back in jail after being recalled for allegedly returning to the scene of the stabbing.

Ricky Preddie, 23, is said to have breached his curfew and licence conditions, which included a ban on entering Peckham, South London – where Damilola, 10, was stabbed with a broken bottle in 2000.

But the former gang leader, who was freed in September, has allegedly been spotted in the area and police fear he was trying to make contact with his old gang friends.

Harry Fletcher, of the National Association of Probation Officers, said: “Preddie had to live in a hostel and comply with a curfew and geographical exclusion order and be of good general behaviour.”

Damilola was found bleeding to death in a stairwell in one of the most notorious child killings in recent years.

Preddie, locked up for eight years for manslaughter in 2006 along with his younger brother Danny, was released after serving two-thirds of his sentence, including time spent in custody on remand. He is now likely to spend the rest of this year in jail.

Damilola’s dad, Richard Taylor, was said to be “deeply upset” – because he felt he should not have been freed.

Gary Trowsdale, of the Damilola Taylor Trust, said: “The system responsible for bringing Ricky Preddie back into society has clearly failed him, the Taylor family and the public at large.

“Richard Taylor had always asked that the boy should not be released unless he had reformed and shown remorse. This was clearly not the case.”